Last night, I almost exhausted myself shovelling a walking path to the street. Ames got ten inches yesterday, but the drift in front of the house was well over a foot. I expected the schools to be open. I wanted to prepare for getting the young miss out to the street to catch her bus. She was bustling around the house this morning at 6:50AM. Lucky thing I rolled out of bed to make sure she was bundled up. She couldn’t find her coat.

Eep. The little oaf almost went out in her hoodie.

I loaned her my coat, and while she was struggling with its balky zipper, I thought to check my email. Whew! School called off because of sub-zero wind chill and blowing snow.

So, it was time to kick off Christmas Break with a round of Monopoly:

After ten minutes, I had served three jail terms, and as you see above, the young miss had completed hotel construction on the dark purples.

After an hour, I had scored the dark blue monopoly, and had five houses on the properties. But repeated stays at the Mediterranean Hotel had reduced me to $42 in cash, a house sale on Boardwalk, and every other non-blue property in my portfolio mortgaged.

But I guess the early break was too much for my daughter’s sensibilities. Her high-rolling lifestyle eventually caught up with her. She absorbed three big hits before the end.

It was really a good thing I woke early. The wind is still whipping, and it would have been dangerous for her to be waiting for the school bus underdressed for the weather. I know kids get independent-minded in the teen years. The young miss is really self-motivated to get ready for school on her own and get out the door in time. Last year, she had a slew of tardies and many last-minute rides. This year, maybe only one. I’m glad my parent/danger sense is still active after all these years. Every so often, I get that inner nudge to check things out. Thank God for those nudges.

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About catholicsensibility

Todd lives in the Pacific Northwest, serving a Catholic parish as a lay minister.